Venting device of spillproof type



Dec. 5, 1961 E. e; WIDHAM VENTING DEVICE OF SPILLPROOF TYPE Filed May18, 1960 United States Patent ()filice 3,011,503 Patented Dec. 5, 1961This invention relates to venting devices in general, and to ventingdevices of spillproof type for liquid containers in particular.

Prior venting devices of this type have vent openings with valve seatsand associated valves which areretained on their seats either by gravityor by floats. The prior venting devices with gravity-seated valves areopen and freely spill the contents of the containers in widely deviatingpositions thereof, depending on the volume of the liquid therein. viceswith float-seated valves, while spillproof and admitting air into thecontainers in an infinite number of noninverted positions of the latter,are open and freely'spill the contents of the containers in all invertedpositions thereof. Accordingly, all of these prior venting devices, inorder to be spillproof, impose severe positional operating restrictionson the containers and, hence, are unsuitable for many operationalcontainer applications.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a venting device ofthis type which will not only be spillproof, but will also admit air, inany and all positions of the container to which it is applied andregardless of the volume of a liquid therein. The spillproof andair-admitting performance of venting devices of this type is thus forthe first time extended to the ultimate in permissible containerpositions, wherefore the present venting device lends itself to manyoperational container applications which were heretofore impossible orrequired manual vent closure in many container positions.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a ventingdevice of this type which, for its performance in spillproof fashion andinstantaneous response to air needs of the container to which it isapplied, imposes no limitations whatsoever not only on the positions ofthe container as aforementioned, but also on its own location on thecontainer, thereby to afford a wide choice of most any convenient andvpractical mounting of the venting device on a container of most anyshape and at a location in most any surrounding. I

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a ventingdevice of this type which, for its aforementioned performance inspillproof fashion and instantaneous response to air needs of anassociated container in its location anywhere on, and in any and allpositions of, the com tainer, relies on a gravity-seated valve and alsoon a float, of which the valve solely controls the performance of thedevice when gravity-seated, and the float cooperates with the valve incontrolling the performance of the device whenever the tendency of thegravityof the value is to unseat it.

Other objects and advantages will appear to those skilled in the artfrom the following, considered in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings. I

In the accompanying drawings, in'which. certain modes of carrying outthe present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary section through a container having an appliedventing device which embodies the present invention;

H6. 2 is a top plan view of the applied venting device;

FIG. 3 is a cross-section through the applied venting devicesubstantially as taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section through the container and appliedventing device as taken on the line 4+4 of FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 5 to 7, inclusive, are sections similar to FIG. 3,

On the other hand, the prior venting deand showing the applied ventingdevice in different operational positions.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4 thereof,the reference numeral 14 designates a venting device which is mounted ona normally closed and sealed container 12 holding a liquid L. Theventing device comprises, in the present instance, a body 14,

and presently also a ring member 16 for mounting the body 14 on thecontainer 12. For its exemplary mount on the container 12, the body 14of the device is located on the outside of wall 18 of the container overan aperture 20 therein, and the ring member 16 is located on the insideof this container wall 18 in surrounding relation with the aperture 26and is suitably secured to the body 12,

presently by screws 22, with suitable gaskets 24 and 26 serving torender the device leakproof along the container wall 1'8.

The body 14 of the venting device it is presently formed in twocompanion sections 28 and 30 which together form a chamber 32. The bodysection 28 presently has a cup formation 34 of inverted disposition inthe exemplary container position of FIG. 3, and an outer flange 36 bymeans of which it is mounted on the container wall 18 as describedabove, with the cup formation 34 being open to the aperture 20 in thecontainer wall 18. The cup formation 34 of the body section 28 has anannular rim 38 and a bottom wall 49 which joins the latter in thesmoothly curved fashion shown at 42 in FIG. 3. Provided in the bottomwall 46 is a vent opening 44 which throughout, or at least over thegreater part of, its axial extent is presently frusto-conical, with itslarger end being at the junction with the chamber 32. Thefrusto-coin'cal wall of the vent opening 44 serves as a seat for a valve46 in the chamber 32.

The other body section 30, which is suitably secured, presently screwedat 48, to the rim 38 of the companion body section 28, completes theformation of the chamber 32 that has suitable admission means for theliquid in the container 12. The admission means are presently formed byslots 5i? and a center hole 52 in the wall 54 of the body sectionSt)(see also FIG. 4). Also contained in the chamber 32 is a float 56 whichis presently spherical.

The chamber 32 in the body 12 of the venting device has an inner camsurface 58, presently the inner surface of the body section 39, whichcooperates with the float 56 in controlling the performance of the valve4-6 under certain operating conditions of the container 12 to which theventing device is applied. This inner cam surface 58 in the chamber 32is presently concave, and is preferably part-spherical.

Assuming now that the venting device It is mounted in its preferredlocation at the very top of the container 12 and the latter is in theupright position shown in FIG. 3 in which the exemplary level of itsliquid contents barely reaches the admission slots 50 to the chamber 32,the float 56 then rests by gravity on the cam surface 58 and the thenopen valve 46 rests by gravity on the float 56-, with the latter holdingthe valve sufficiently within the confines of the vent opening 44 toprevent its escape therefrom. More particularly, the cam surface 58 inthe chamber 32 is so arranged that the float 56 will hold the valve 46against gravity escape from within the confines or" the vent opening 44-in any other position of the container 12 regardless of whether or notthere is liquid in the latter, wherefore the valve will under any andall circumstances remain within the guiding confines of the vent opening44 for its motion into seating engagement with the frusto-conical wallof the latter either by gravity of the valve itself or by the action ofthe float 56 in a manner to be described. In the present instance, theabovementioned guiding confines of the vent opening 44 take in that partof the frusto-conical wall of the latter 3 which extends from itslargest diameter to that diameter thereof at which the valve 46 isseated in FIG. 3 in its dot-and-dash line position, wherefore this partof the frusto-conical wall of the vent opening serves as a guide passagefor the valve onto its seat from any other position.

Assuming now that more liquid is added to the container 12 in an amountsufficient to lend buoyancy to the float 56, the latter will then liftthe valve as into the dot-and-dash line position in PEG. 3 in which itis in vent-closing seating engagement with the frusto-conical wall ofthe vent opening 44, long before the liquid could escape through thelatter, with the float then assuming the exemplary dot-and-dash lineposition (PEG. 3) in which it is by its buoyancy wedged between the camsurface 58 and valve 46 and holds the latter closed against the tendencyof its gravity to open.

Assuming now that the container 3.2 with its liquid contents is tiltedinto the exemplary position shown in FIG. 5, the liquid then admittedinto and filling the chamber 32 will compel the float 56 to seek, byvirtue of its buoyancy, the vertically highest possible position in thechamber in which it is presently wedged between another part of the camsurface 58 and the valve 46 and closes the latter against the tendencyof its gravity to open before any liquid can possibly spill through thevent opening 44'. The cam surface 53 and float 56 thus cooperate, ininfinite positions of the container 12 in any of which the valve :6would open by gravity, to close the valve and hold it closed wheneverthe liquid level in the container nearly reaches the vent opening 44 orrises thereabove, thereby rendering the venting device spillproof underany and all conditions whenever the gravity of the valve tends to openthe latter. Neither is the spill-proof performance of the venting devicein this fashion limited to infinite positions of the container in oneand the same tilting plane, for the exemplary partspherical shape of thecam surface 58 makes for spillproof performance of the venting deviceunder any and all conditions Whenever the container assumes'any one ofinfinite tilting positions in any one of infinite universal tiltingplanes in which .the gravity of the valve tends to open the latter.

the vent opening into the container as needed for the withdrawal ofliquid from the latter. Thus, considering the exemplary tilted positionof the container 12 in PEG.

5, air will be admitted through the vent opening 44 into the containerwhenever on withdrawal of liquid therefrom there is created therein asufl'icient partial vacuum to permit air at atmospheric pressure to openthe valve 46 despite the tendency of the buoyant float 56 to hold thelatter closed. In this connection, the float 56, while being wedgedbetween the cam surface 53 and the valve 46 by its buoyancy, isnevertheless free to yield sufficiently to permit air to enter throughthe vent opening 44 under the above conditions, the exemplary camsurface 58 being designed accordingly. Thus, the float 56 is presentlyseated (FIG. on the exemplary cam surface 53 above the point ofintersection of a line through the respective centers of the valve 46and float 56 with the cam surface 58, and it is for this reason that thefloat 56 is free to yield for the admission of air through the ventopening 44 as needed in the container 12 for the withdrawal of liquidtherefrom. The valve 46 will respond to air needs of the container 12 onwithdrawal of liquid therefrom, by slightly opening in characteristicpulsating fashion to admit air in gulps rather than in a continuousstream, as will be readily understood.

Referring now to FIG. 6, the container 12 is there shown in a position,presently in an exemplary one of the infinite universal planes in whichit may be tilted, in which the valve to is close to being retained byits own gravity in sealing engagement with the frusto-conical wall ofthe vent opening 44, with the buoyant float 56 being still wedgedbetween the cam surface 58 and the valve 4s and holding the latterclosed. However, on slight further tilting of the container 12,counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 6, to compel the valve as to remainclosed under its own gravity, the buoyant float 56 is, by thearrangement of the cam surface 58 on which it rides, about to rise outof engagement with the valve 46, and will remain out of engagement withthe valve in any and all positions of the container 12 in any and alluniversal titling planes thereof in which the valve will remaingravity-seated. FIG. 7 shows but one of the infinite positions ofthecontainer 12 in which the valve 46 is gravity-seated and the float 56thereabove and out of engagement therewith. Of course, in all of thesecontainer positions the valve 46 will also respond to air needs of thecontainer on withdrawal of liquid therefrom, by opening in the samepulsating fashion as aforementioned.

With the venting device it mounted, as described, in exemplary fashionat the very top of the container 12, the latter will thus be vented inany and all positions thereof, and the venting device will be spillproofregardless of the volume of the liquid in the container. However, thepresent venting device is by no means limited in its location at the topof the container, and may be located anywhere else on the container,such as on the side or bottom thereof, in order to be spillproof andadmit air is needed in any and all container positions, as will bereadily understood.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than thoseherein set forth without departing from the spirit and essentialcharacteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are,therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and notrestrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalencyrange of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

l. A spillproof containen'comprising a body having a normally closedchamber with a ventvhaving a seat and a guide passage providingcommunication between said chamber and seat; a valve guided in saidpassage for gravitation into and from vent-closing engagement with saidseat depending on body positions; a cam surface in said chamber; and afloat in said chamber between said cam surface and valve, said camsurface being shaped and coordinated with said vent to compelgravitation of said float in its non-buoyant state into positions onsaid cam surface in which to permit said valve to unseat only withinsaid passage in all of an infinite number of body positions compellingvalve gravitation from said seat, and to compel said float in itsbuoyant state in liquid yieldingly to wedge between said cam surface andvalve for yieldingly holding the latter against said seat in any of saidinfinite body positions.

2. A spillproof container, comprising a body having a normally closedchamber with a vent having a seat and a guide passage providingcommunication between said chamber and seat; a valve guided in saidpassage for gravitation into and from vent-closing engagement with saidseat depending on body positions; a concave cam surface in said chamberfacing said vent; and a spherical float in said chamber between said camsurface and valve, said cam surface being arranged to compel gravitationof said float in its non-buoyant state into positions on said camsurface in which to permit said valve to unseat only within said passagein all of an infinite number of body positions compelling valvegravitation from said seat, and to compel said float in its buoyantstate in liquid yieldingly to wedge between said cam surface and valvefor yieldingly holding the latter against said seat in any of saidinfinite body positions.

3. A spillproof container as set forth in claim 2, in which said vent isa frusto-conical opening having its larger end at the junction with saidchamber and defining said seat intermediate its ends and with saidpassage extending from said larger end to said seat.

4. A spillproof container as set forth in claim 2, in e which said valveis a ball.

5. A spillproof container as set forth in claim '2, in which said ventis a frusto-conical opening having its larger end at the junction withsaid chamber and defining said seat intermediate its ends and with saidpassage extending from said larger end to said seat, and said valve is aball;

6. A spillproof container as set forth in claim 2, in which said camsurface is part-spherical throughout.

5 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS R725,640 1 Wemmer Apr. 17, 1903 1,683,338 Evinrude Sept. 4, 1928 02,510,098 Geisler June 6, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Y 501,795 Canada Apr. 27,1954

